THE RISKS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

ByAuwalu AdamuDP/IT/13/041A

What Are The Security Risks?

• Malware distribution• Cyber-bullying • Shelf-life of information (lives forever

in cyberspace)• Privacy concerns

– Information about you that you post– Information about you that others post– Information about you the social networking

sites collect and share with others

What Are The Security Risks?

• Can result in social engineering, identity theft, financial fraud, infected computers, stalking, child abuse, sexual predation, defamation, lawsuits, mad boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/parent, unwanted legacy, embarrassment, …

Malware Distribution Similar to other threats that can lead to

downloading/installing malware Malicious ads Clickjacking Wall posts, inbox or chat messages with

malicious links from Friends (hijacked user account)

“My wallet was stolen and I’m stuck in London. Please send me cash now.”

Spam email pretending to be from Facebook admins

Who’s glancing?• Friends & family• Friends of friends & family• Parents• Employers and co-workers• Customers• Universities• Marketing companies & vendors• Criminals & hackers• Government agencies (IRS, SRS!)• EVERYONE ELSE

Social Networking at Work• Does your University have a policy? Is incidental personal use

allowed? At what point does it exceed “incidental”? Discuss it with your supervisor

• Faculty and staff posting work-related information without authorization, or posting work-related information on personal pages

• K-State units should use Facebook Pages or groups rather than setting up a user profile; latter violates FB policy

• Should also be conscious of branding, making it clear whether the page is an official institutional page

• See Social Media Guidelines from K-State’s Media Relationswww.k-state.edu/media/socialmedia/

• Possible data loss (inadvertent or malicious)• Damage to reputation (personal or institutional)• Regulatory compliance issues (e.g., FERPA, HIPAA)• Personal rights issues (free speech, academic freedom)

Tips for Safer Social Networking1. Use a strong, unique password (don’t use the same

password on multiple sites; don’t use same ID password on social networking sites)

2. Provide as little personal information as possible – avoid revealing birth date, address, etc.

3. Understand and customize the privacy settings in all of your social networking accounts

4. Don’t allow 3rd party applications to accessyour information (if possible)

5. Be careful about what you posta. Photos of self or othersb. Opinions on controversial topicsc. Don’t rip classmates, professors, coworkers,

employers, etc. – it WILL come back to haunt you

6. Don’t post anything related to youremployer (unless you’re authorized)

7. Supervise your kids’ use of socialnetworking sites

Tips for Safer Social Networking8. Be suspicious of friend and follow requests, ads,

3rd party applications, chat messages, etc.9. Minimize exploration – don’t carelessly click on

lots of ads, videos, games, etc.10. Use built-in and add-on features in web browsers

to warn you of malicious sitesa. Anti-phishing filters in IE and Firefoxb. Web of Trustc. No Scriptd. Ad block Pluse. Preview features of bit.ly, TinyURL

11. Trend Micro Web ReputationsServices is your friend

12. Google yourself and scrutinize results13. Think before you click!!

Good bye